Money’s Worth…..In the absence of value all you have is price; and it is true in that, there is always someone who will do it cheaper. But, at what cost? And at whose expense? Yours, your dogs?

There are many quotes that one can draw upon, all true in their denotation…

“Great work isn’t cheap, cheap work isn’t great.”

“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.”

“Price is what you pay, value is what you get.”

“It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little.”

“If you pay peanuts, you’ll get monkeys.”

“Price is what you pay, Value is what you get.”

People will always try to negotiate, to barter; driven by a compulsion to drive cost to the lowest possible common value. That person, according to itself, has a perceived figure of estimated value for a product or service where it believes fairness and a good price lies.

Value pricing is difficult for a service industry such as dog training because, instead of the exacting cost for developing and producing a product, a price will be delivered upon on ability, individual customer needs and wants, and how much benefit the buyer is deriving. Impact and value are not straightforward mediums to measure. Prices are set according to the “value” of the service as provided to the customer, for there are aspects of commercial transactions that cannot be defined in monetary equations alone.

The client and service provider must, throughout, articulate their individual expectations in a bid to avoid the potential for aversion and disconnect through process. The value and expectation of a product and/or service provided must be defined with an associated cost, and must be aligned between the two parties from the outset.

In an attempt to evade risk when considering instructing professionals / obtaining quotes, an individual should carry out requisite due diligence:-

Give consideration of outcomes / consequences reflected in the pricing. Do not grossly under or overestimate the “job”.

Do your research, evaluate the service provider. Has the provider the requisite industry experience. Request verification and proof of capability / ability, investigate that their current practices, processes and policies are in line with industry standards.

Enquire after industry affiliations and qualification.

Seek documentation and assurances relating to scope and process, from guarantees to professional indemnity insurance etc..

Consider what, if anything, differentiates the professionals from one another; what elevates any in particular above the standard?

These questions will allow a better judgement of cost versus the value of a service, and will allow for a better experience.

It is true to say that the bitterness of mediocre or poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten. Here at The Dog Man you are not necessarily paying for my time relative to hours, but for my years’ of experience and credentials, and my ability to undertaken the role submitting well-structured, informative and proven training techniques. Getting money’s worth, at a fair and reasonable cost to yourself, and at no expense to your dog other than in a positive manner.

In the final analysis, when all is said and done, to paraphrase, “You get what you pay for”.